


stars fell like snow

by zeloflake



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2017-11-20
Packaged: 2019-02-01 09:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12702027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeloflake/pseuds/zeloflake
Summary: The Falling is a strange phenomenon that happens once in a generation, when the cosmos are correctly aligned and the forces of the Universe get together to drop the stars on the Earth. In that night, it is said that things defying reality are bound to happen - the sky turns bright red, and stars start to fall like little snowflakes. They are little spots of shine, that get dimmer the closer they are to the ground, until they disappear completely. The following day, it is always impossible to find any trace of the Falling; for years, people thought it was simply a dream. A crazy, magic, improbable dream.There is, however, one thing that remains. In the middle of the thousand stars that fall to the ground, there is a single red one. It is said that the one who finds the red star will be blessed with happiness and fortune for the rest of their life, if they keep it safe for as long as they live. Needless to say, thousands of explorers go looking for it, some letting fate guide them, others counting on prophecies or calculations.This is the story of four adventurers who left their homes looking for a red star and ended up finding love in the way.





	stars fell like snow

**Author's Note:**

> 7k
> 
> This one was in the works for a seriously long time. I'm really fond of it, and I'm very happy it is finally completed. I hope you enjoy, and if you do, leave a comment!

"Luhan!" A deep voice yelled from the bottom of the stairs, followed by a stomping of hurried feet. The tall boy slammed his friend's door open, his voice frantic and a huge smile plastered in his face, "Luhan! Have you looked outside?"

Luhan, playing a random game in his phone, paid little attention to his friend. Chanyeol came to him with an amazing discovery about ants or volcanoes just about every day, so he was pretty used to it, hardly looking up.

"What is it, Chanyeol?" He watched as the boy walked over to his window, opening the curtains and letting the cold air enter the room, before sticking his hand out, " You're starting to freak me out, and this is rare. I would've though knowing you for 15 years would've left me immune to your weirdness."

"Luhan, you don't understand." Chanyeol wouldn't stop smiling, finally succeeding in catching something outside, "Look. Do you see?"

Luhan came closer to his huge friend, examining the object he'd caught on air. It was a little ball of shine, getting dimmer with each passing second. When Luhan reached to touch it, it sparked for the last time before vanishing in thin air.

"A star... It can't be." Realization was all over Luhan's face, the disbelief evident in his voice. He looked up to his friend, both of them teary-eyed, "It must be a dream."

"But it isn't, Luhan." Chanyeol smiled even wider, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, "It's time. We've waited for as long as I can remember, and now it's time. Go pack your bags. We're going on an adventure."

 

Kyungsoo looked outside his bedroom window, sipping on his hot chocolate. It was December, and extremely cold outside. He really enjoyed this kind of weather, though, preferring it to the sticky sweaty mess that was summer. The boy was trying to keep his hopes down and distract himself, failing miserably, a book forgotten in his lap. He was a nervous mess and he knew it.

That was until he noticed something peculiar about the snow.

It was shining.

Every little drop carried a spark of its own, falling into the darkness of the street below them.

Baekhyun had been right.  So many nights spent awake, Kyungsoo looking at the light from the writing desk still turned on at deep hours of the night. Mornings in which his brother couldn't stay awake in school, drooling all over his unfinished homework. Their late night talks, filled with fear and hope, wondering what the future would bring.

It hadn't been for nothing. Baekhyun was right.

Kyungsoo got up from his bed, running to the kitchen, where his brother had gone to fix himself a sandwich. He found a sobbing figure curled into a ball, leaning next to the counter, his head buried in his arms.

"Hey. Baek." Kyungsoo shook him lightly, holding onto his brother's arm. "You saw it, didn't you? The stars are falling. You were right."

Baekhyun looked up, his face puffy and red, eyes filled with joy. He hugged his brother tight, the relief evident in his actions.

"I still can't believe it, Soo. It really happened. All that struggle wasn't in vain. Go get your stuff, we have a treasure to find."

The smile Baekhyun gave him that night was brighter than the stars falling outside.

 

The Falling is a strange phenomenon that happens once in a generation, when the cosmos are correctly aligned and the forces of the Universe get together to drop the stars on the Earth. In that night, it is said that things defying reality are bound to happen - the sky turns bright red, and stars start to fall like little snowflakes. They are little spots of shine, that get dimmer the closer they are to the ground, until they disappear completely. The following day, it is always impossible to find any trace of the Falling; for years, people thought it was simply a dream. A crazy, magic, improbable dream.

There is, however, one thing that remains. In the middle of the thousand stars that fall to the ground, there is a single red one. It is said that the one who finds the red star will be blessed with happiness and fortune for the rest of their life, if they keep it safe for as long as they live. Needless to say, thousands of explorers go looking for it, some letting fate guide them, others counting on prophecies or calculations.

This is the story of four adventurers, who left their homes looking for a red star, and ended up finding love in the way.

 

"Come on, Luhan, you're too slow!" Chanyeol looked behind him, waiting for his best friend to catch up.

"I don't have your enormous legs, you giant." Luhan was panting, slowly making his way up the hill they were climbing."It's easier to hike when each step is practically a mile gone."

"Wow, you didn't exaggerate that in the slightest." He contemplated the view ahead, calculating how many miles they had left to cover. He and Luhan had left their road about 3 hours ago, and the Falling was at its peak. Chanyeol had needed to brush stars off his hair more than once, the little specs of light disappearing once they touched the ground. "I think we could use a break. Look at our surroundings, rest a little and decide the best course of action. I think we're getting real close to the red star."

They had stopped on a rural zone, with no lampposts and composed mostly of big farms; the only electricity came from the few houses they encountered in the way. It was dark and quiet and dangerous. If someone wanted to, they could be beaten up -or worse - and yelling for help wouldn't change a single thing. They couldn't stay for long, but resting was necessary.

"Well, we have been walking for a while. " The bright-eyed boy wiped his forehead, sitting on top of the nearest rock and taking out some snacks from his backpack.  Chanyeol sat beside him on the grass, taking out a map with calculations and graphics messily drawn.

"Look, we're here." Chanyeol pointed at a spot in the middle of the map, close to a red spot, "It's about one more hour to the place the star is supposed to fall. We have to be careful with smugglers, you know how dangerous it is on the night of the Falling."

"Yeah, grandma told us about it all the time." Luhan remembered, taking a bite of his apple, "She knew we'd go as soon as it happened, but boy, did she try to prevent it. She always told tales of mean people that habited the darkest corners of the night, waiting for innocent explorers to beat them and steal their money."

"Well, it is true. The mere fact that we're here now proves it."

"You're talking about Yura?" Luhan lifted his gaze, looking in his friend's eyes. They were cloudy, but focused. He wouldn't lose his temper; not today, of all days. Chanyeol never would allow himself the luxury.

"Yeah. I'm doing this for me, of course, but also, you know, just the tiniest bit - for her. To honor her memory. She deserves it, for putting up with me when I was such a brat."

Chanyeol recalled how this map had ended up in his hands. It had once been Yura's - his sister's -, after she went to a prophet, who promised to give the exact location of the next Falling to the most deserving person to enter his tent. When she told the story, she'd always say how nervous she was, and how little sense it all made. She had entered the place, and, after one look into her eyes, the old man gave her a piece of paper, telling her to guard it with her life; or not. It depended on her priorities.

One day, she left the house and never came back. The authorities investigated, coming to the conclusion that it was the work of a gang wanting to steal her map. What nobody knew was that, after coming home, she gifted the map to her little brother. "For good luck", she said. Chanyeol's family moved cities, ending up next to Luhan's house.

Chanyeol hated those guys. People like that were the reason he had no idea where his sister was, or if she even was alive. How could there be people who made money the most meaningful thing on their lives? Didn't they love anyone? How would they feel if someone took those people from them, just like they did to Chanyeol?

Yura was a great sister; she was patient, kind and loving. Chanyeol hated those who took her away more than anything, but he kept it locked inside. It wouldn't do to go around kicking people and seeking revenge. That is not the brother Yura would want him to grow up to be. Every day after waking up, Chanyeol tried, more than anything, to make his sister proud. To be worthy of being called her brother, and honoring her existence.

"Let's go, Yeol. We've rested enough." Luhan offered a hand to help his friend get up, and together they walked into the darkness, only two lanterns guiding their path.

 

Baekhyun and Kyungsoo were walking for quite some time now. By Baekhyun's calculations, they should arrive at where the star would fall anytime now. Kyungsoo was still amazed that all his hard work had paid off, and his brother really had become the one to locate the falling point. He was smart, sure, but that was something else. If this method was made public, all the future generations would know where to look. The night of hunting and searching would no longer be.

They had left their city, the biggest one of their region, and saw the scenery slowly changing and becoming more farm-like; the only time they've been to this part of the country was on school trips. Their whole family lived on the city, and that had become a constant without them giving it much thought. It gave a sense of meaning and change to their journey, and made them feel like part of something much bigger than themselves. Like that was really something that could potentially change their lives.

If Baekhyun really sold off the method, it would be a little sad, Kyungsoo thought; it was a fun adventure, and knowing where to look would change every single aspect of it. His mind wondered all over, as restless as his body. Baekhyun kept him entertained with silly conversations, the way he did best. His brother had already recomposed and was back to his cheeky self. You wouldn't imagine that boy had been bawling at the floor of the kitchen a few hours ago. But then again, Baekhyun was always either 8 or 80. His brother didn't know what it was to feel little - everything was intense when it came to him. Like his first love. God, that had been a tiring 6 months.

"I know you don't like to brag about this kind of thing, but I still think it's incredible. That with a few numbers and formulas from your mind you were able to know when a star was going to fall from the endless sky. It's mind-numbing jaw-droping in-fucking-credible."

"It's astronomy, Soo." Baekhyun had a contained smile in his face, not wanting to get too conceited, "I told myself that if I study it hard enough, I might be able to come to an accurate conclusion. After all, numbers don't lie."

"I know that, even if you calculated it perfectly, a small part of you still thinks it's magic."

They had been brothers for 17 years. It's not like they didn't know each other. Baekhyun had always taken a liking to the unexplainable, that being one of the reasons he wanted so badly to find the mythical red star. He would never believe something as mundane and organic as numbers on paper were able to achieve such a result. To him, there surely must be the interference of fate.

Kyungsoo remembered the nights he spent tossing and turning, waiting for his brother to lie on the bed next to him. A fruitless waiting, for he wouldn't come until morning; Kyungsoo would only see Baekhyun on the other side of the breakfast table, deep purple bags under his eyes, copying the homework Kyungsoo lent him.

And the one time he found Baekhyun lying on top of the table, not waking up no matter how much Kyungsoo shook him. He was really worried then; it turned out the boy had only fainted from having spent too much time without eating.

_He was on the hospital bed, a saline drip in his arm, when he finally awoke. Kyungsoo, who had been stroking his hair, sitting on a stool next to the bed, breathed relieved._

_"Baekkie... How do you feel? You gave me quite a scare back there."_

_"Heh." His brother chuckled weakly, like it took all the energy on his body simply to smile, "I feel like approximately 4 thousand elephants just ran all over me. I can say I've been better."_

_"Well, that's what you get for not eating, dumbass. You can't live on air alone, you know? You gotta nourish your body."_

_"I know, Soo, I just forgot. I'm really sorry for scaring you like that."_

_Kyungsoo wrapped his hand around his brother's wrist, holding tight. It were times like this that made him really feel like the youngest. Usually, Baekhyun was too carefree and playful to feel like a older brother; but now, Kyungsoo felt like he was three years old, holding onto his brother's jacket, while he fought with the other boys who were picking on him. He was scared of losing Baekhyun - he was the most precious person in the world to Kyungsoo._

_"Why are you so keen on doing this, Baek?" Kyungsoo's voice was soft, almost a whisper, "You're killing yourself. You spend nights awake, you barely eat, your grades are dropping. Is it all really worth that star?"_

_"It's my dream, Soo." That was the nickname Baekhyun gave him at a young age, and he always called Kyungsoo that. Religiously. Now, the tender tone in his brother's voice brought tears to his eyes. "And if I don't do my best to fulfill it now, then when will I?"_

_"I don't get it," Kyungsoo closed his eyes - a futile attempt to keep the tears from falling, " but I'll do what I can from now on to support you. So something like this never happens again. I was so scared..."_

_Baekhyun wrapped his little brother in his arms, while he shed the tears he'd been holding back all this time. Yes, Kyungsoo was strong, but he was also young - and seemed more so when sobbing heavily like this, holding on Baekhyun like his life depended on it._

_Eventually, he fell asleep from exhaustion. Baekhyun was stroking his hair when their mother entered the hospital room, the bags in her eyes as deep as Kyungsoo's._

_"Mom... I'm sorry. I promise I'll never do anything like that again."_

_"You had us really scared for a moment there, Baek." He voice was stern, but her gaze was tender. She looked at Kyungsoo, a small smile forming in her mouth, "He stayed up the whole time, and never left your side."_

_"Yeah. That's my brother." Baekhyun looked down at him, his face filled with affection; even though they didn't say it out loud, as teenager boys rarely do, they loved each other very much. It showed in situations like this how deep their bond was; he would've done the same for Kyungsoo without having to think twice. "My worrying, caring  little brother."_

"Well, you see..." Baekhyun had a thinking face, like he was contemplating the mysteries of the universe, not for the first time. "I might have gotten everything right, and maybe there really is a way to definitely know when and where the star will fall. But... I also have no proof it wasn't magic. The universe might have looked at me while I was trying, as hard as I could, and when I foolishly thought I had come to a conclusion, it said: _'Ok, this kid works hard. He might be a little silly, but he's earnest. Let's grant him at least that._ ' And now we're here."

"Yeah. Just a few more hours to go." Kyungsoo grabbed Baekhyun's hand, squeezing tight. It wasn't everyday they had a chance like that. He'd be sure to make it count.

 

They were seriously close to the red star. Chanyeol could feel it. It was like a powerful aura enveloped them, leaving the air filled with static and the taste of electricity in their tongues. It was so near Chanyeol could hear it calling his name.

"Luhan, that's the spot. You feel it too, don't you?"

They were on the middle of a huge grass field, with nothing resembling any kind of technology or civilization in the view. There was a forest up north, and a little hill on the west. The whole place seemed distorted with some kind of outer-worldly energy.

"Yeah." Luhan's eyes were huge, scanning their surroundings, "It seems we're really the first ones here."

"It's going to fall at any minute. Keep a close eye at the sky."

"I feel like my fingertips are numb with magic, and my whole body is going to combust." He laughed incredulously, "I didn't even know something like that was possible."

"Tonight is the night that defies reality, Luhan. Anything and everything can be done tonight."

"Like finding a star that literally falls from the never-ending sky and grants us eternal happiness and luck?"

"Yeah." It was Chanyeol's turn to laugh - a nervous one, though, since he was unable to let his guard down at such a crucial moment, "Something like that."

They waited. They looked at each other, at the ground, at the sky. Every minute seemed like an eternity, and the risk of someone arriving got bigger. It was impossible to deny that was the right spot once you reached it; the simple energy radiating from the place annihilated any doubt.

 

Finally, there was a change in the air. It got blurrier, all edges seeming fainter. Luhan yelled something at Chanyeol, but it was impossible to understand.

The red sky condensed in one point, a small vortex opening in the space-time right on top of him. And just like the others, only a little bigger and brighter, fell the red star.

Chanyeol was hypnotized. It was just like in his dreams, only a thousand times more intense. He reached out, hand stretched in front of his body, waiting for the little particle of light to land. It seemed to be taking its time, and he didn't want to rush it. That would take the magic out of the moment.

The instant it touched his hand, his world turned sideways.

Literally.

He'd been hit by a small but really strong form that hurled him to the ground, grabbing the star as hard as they could, both of them rolling on the grass, fighting for it.

That hadn't been in his plans at all, Chanyeol thought, as he looked for the first time at the face of the figure that pinned him to the ground. It was a young boy, his face twisted with despair, holding on to the small star like his life depended on it. He didn't seem dangerous or threatening, only really keen on having what wasn't his.

"HEY! LET GO!" Chanyeol yelled as he tried to break free, "I GRABBED THE STAR, IT'S MINE."

"No." Surprisingly, the boy spoke on a rather low tone, contrasting sharply with Chanyeol's screams, "You know we caught it at the same time. It's not fair for you to have it entirely to yourself."

"BOTH OF YOU, STOP ROLLING AROUND! It's getting hard to catch up, geez."

Oh, yeah. Luhan.

They managed to sit down on the meadow, on a spot quite far from where they stood before the whole tackling situation, both boys grabbing firmly the red flicker of light, looking both confused and ecstatic. Their hair was full of green from the grass and they were on a situation none of them could've imagined 10 minutes ago, but that was it. The journey was over. They had found the star. They were _touching_ it.

Chanyeol watched as Luhan and another boy he didn't know, presumably connected to the one in his right in some way, ran over to where they sat.

"Hey, Soo! What happened?" The one he didn't know asked, ruffling his pitch black hair. It looked like a nervous habit.

"I'll tell you what happened. Chanyeol was about to grab the one thing he spent about 15 years obsessing over, and your friend comes and tackles him, like that would somehow give him any right to owning the star. I'm sorry, I don't know you, but that is ours. We're taking it home."

Luhan was pretty scary when he was mad. But then again, he didn't say anything wrong. Chanyeol thought that would settle it, only to hear the small boy on his side shaking. He was laughing.

"Fifteen years? Get in the line." He calmed down a little, his expression turning serious. "I touched the star at the exact same time your friend here did, and if he says I didn't, he's lying. Yes, I tackled him, and I apologize for that. But it was the only way of getting to the star on time. And I don't regret it, not one bit."

"He's right." The surprised expressions on the faces of the three boys there made clear their thoughts. Luhan didn't like being wrong, but he also wasn't a sore loser. "We caught the star at the same time. Now we have to decide what to do, since we have equal claim to it."

"Thanks." Chanyeol looked at the boy, finding him doing a half-smile. Funny; when he did that, his lips kind of looked like a heart. "I'm impressed at your cooperation. And your honesty."

"Well, I understand the weight of this dream. I wouldn't want to ruin it to somebody else, only to make it come true to me. Even if I was a little savage earlier. Sorry about that."

"It's fine, I'm sorry t-"

A loud noise came from the base of the hill. A sound like guns loading, and big people running.

"Let's get the hell out of here if we want to go back home alive." Luhan grabbed Chanyeol's arm, yanking both of them up, running to the forest in front of them. "If there's any chance of us getting away, we need to find a shelter."

"We came from the forest. There was a cave on our path here." Black-haired boy pointed to the northeast, and there they followed. Running holding the star was hard, and Chanyeol let go of one hand. The other boy did the same, and they ran side by side. It resembled running holding hands a little, and the thought made Chanyeol blush. That was stupid.

It was a small cave, hidden by a huge tree trunk, but just enough to fit 4 scrawny boys. It was extremely hard to find, unless you knew where to look - good thing Baekhyun had always paid attention to detail. They were quiet, trying to breathe normally again, looking outside in the darkness.

"It was definitely here! Search around, the one who found it can't be too far!" An angry male voice shouted from somewhere in the woods; it made Chanyeol's whole body tremble. Those people wouldn't hesitate to do anything to get the star.

"Hide." Chanyeol hid further in the cave, gesturing for the others to do the same. "They're smugglers." There was a rustling on the leaves a few meters from them, but not coming any nearer. The cave hadn't been noticed - at least not yet. None of the boys dared to move one muscle.

The night of the Falling is always full of them, looking to fill their purses at the expense of someone else's dreams. Many didn't return to their houses for a reason. Chanyeol clenched his fist, trying to control his anger. He would not let people like that rip away his dreams, not when they were so close. Not after he had actually touched them.

 

After a tense half hour of waiting, it seemed they had gone on a different path, the cave left undiscovered. The four boys were able to breathe relieved, and introductions were finally made. It was awkward, especially because of the lack of light; they couldn't afford to waste batteries at this point.

"So. I'm Kyungsoo, and this is my older brother Baekhyun." Baek smiled weakly, waving his hand for the tiniest while. He knew no one would see, but it felt wrong not to.

"Hi. I'm Chanyeol, this is my friend Luhan." They all shook hands, trying to make the best of the weird situation. No matter how they had imagined this day going, that was definitely not it. "I think we have to do something about the star."

"Yeah. Well. It's not like we can just break it in two." Kyungsoo argued, hearing his brother yawning on his side. "But there has to be a solution."

"Uh... What do you think about rock paper scissors?" It was Chanyeol's standard way of solving things, and there was no reason not to use it now.

"That's ridiculous. To leave such an important thing to fate?"

"Well, fate brought us here. I don't see why we shouldn't trust it. Right, Luhan?" His friend had been unusually quiet, making Chanyeol uneasy. Was he maybe analyzing the strangers? He had always been wary of new people, and that wouldn't come as a surprise. "Luhan?"

Chanyeol looked at where his friend sat, head resting on the cave wall, fast asleep.

"It seems he's not going to answer you anytime soon." Kyungsoo chuckled, watching the shadow of the pretty boy.

"Well, I could say the same of your brother." Chanyeol pointed at where Baekhyun had begun to snore lightly. Kyungsoo turned him to the side, so it wouldn't get as high. Baekhyun's snore had been notorious to wake whole classes on summer camps, and Kyungsoo every night before he had learned to deal with it. Because of his brother, Kyungsoo had developed the ability to sleep through the apocalypse. "So... what do we do now?"

"We wait. We can't make any decisions if the four of us aren't awake." The sound of their breathing and the faint noises from the night creatures of the forest were the only things they could hear. Every time they spoke, it seemed like the noise was amplified by a thousand. Kyungsoo didn't have much trouble keeping a low register, since it wasn't much different from his usual way of speaking.

"It was one hell of a journey. I get why they fell asleep. But I don't think I ever could... not while holding the star." Chanyeol  squeezed the star tighter. He'd been holding it for so long, it had become almost a part of his hand. He wouldn't be surprised if it merged into his skin.

"Heh. You still haven't let go."

"Well, neither have you." Chanyeol's eyes had grown accustomed to the dark by now, and his gaze met Kyungsoo's. Their hands were touching, since the star wasn't really that big, but it wasn't really like holding hands. It was less affectionate than that. Even so, holding that star for such a long time together felt more intimate than any hand ever had to both of them.

"Yeah, but I will." Kyungsoo chuckled awkwardly, letting go and leaning on the wall opposite to where Chanyeol sat. His hands suddenly felt weirdly empty, like something wasn't right anymore. "This position is too uncomfortable, and if we're going to stay on first watch, I want to at least be able to lean on the wall."

"Wait. Really? You're leaving it to me?" The incredulity showed in the Chanyeol's voice. Was this the same boy who had tackled him to the ground and fought tooth and nails for it? He'd looked fierce at the time. If he hadn't just watched the red star of luck descending from the infinite sky, Chanyeol would probably say that was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Yeah."

"How can you be sure that I won't just run away with it?"

Kyungsoo smiled. That giant boy sure was silly. He'd put up a tough front, with those broad shoulders and deep voice, but he was no more than a young boy with a dream, just like him. Chanyeol wasn't clueless, but he was still innocent. That was something to appreciate in this though wide world, especially on such a night like this one.

"Because that wouldn't be fair. We both found it at the same time. If you have no honesty, what is the difference between you and those people chasing us an hour ago? " He smiled to himself, pointing to Luhan, "And also, I don't think you'd ever leave you friend behind."

Chanyeol gazed at where Luhan drooled all over his favorite jacket. He'd pay for every cent of the dry cleaner.

"Well, yeah. I wouldn't. But still, that seems like a very sudden decision."

"On the contrary, Chanyeol." That was the first time Kyungsoo actually said his name - it rang like music to his ears. His voice was so melodic, every sentence could be part of a musical. "I've thought a lot about it. It means I trust you, dumbass. Appreciate it."

"Oh." The boy sat up straighter, looking at the wall to mask his surprise, "I see. Okay. Thank you... for trusting me."

"I can  only hope it will be reciprocal. So, tell me; how did you and Luhan become friends?"

 

"After that, I made a pact with Luhan. We were really young and foolish, but we knew right where our dreams stood.  And every day, I feel blessed to have chosen him as my friend, on that huge classroom, with over 40 people. It had to be destiny - there's no way I could've found anyone better."

"I know what you mean." Kyungsoo played with the hem of his shirt, a small smile in his face, "Well, not exactly, because I didn't really choose Baekhyun, but; it has to be fate. We were born on the same house, only a few years apart. He's the person I love and trust more in the world, and I know he feels the same. Even though we're very different, we understand each other so well. And more importantly, we are always there to support each other. If the red star is his dream, then it's also mine."

"It's kind of like kindred spirits, don't you think? Like the cosmos knew it had to happen like that. It wouldn't be fair to have been otherwise."

The conversation faded, and they looked at their companions, who slept soundly on the floor.

"It doesn't seem like they're waking up anytime soon."

"It's alright. I don't mind being on watch. It's a night to remember, after all. Sleeping would feel wasteful."

 

They had been waiting for hours, and the thieves were long gone. Bathed by the moonlight, they'd told each other their life stories, and the reason finding the star was such a crucial part of their being.  At one point, Kyungsoo pointed at the tattoo that graced Chanyeol's wrist. It was unidentifiable at a distance, but the taller boy had scooted closer so he'd see better.

"I drew it. It's a red star, in honor of my sister, the one I was telling you about. At the same time, it's also for me. It reminds me every day that I have to live fully and make it count, for myself and for everyone else that didn't make it. A lucky charm of sorts."

"Whoa..." Kyungsoo stared at the drawing; it wasn't huge, but not small either. It was actually very tasteful, not something he'd expect from Chanyeol at first sight. On the borders of the star, little patterns faded onto the skin, creating the illusion of movement. "You drew that? You're really talented. My stick figures usually look like they were run over by a truck."

"Ha!" Chanyeol's huge laugh pierced the cave once again, but like before, the other two figures didn't even budge. They were in such a deep sleep, exhausted from the journey, that noise had no effect whatsoever on them. Kyungsoo knew he was supposed to feel like that too, but he was surprisingly awake. He knew that sleeping would mean ceasing the conversation with Chanyeol, and surprisingly, he didn't want that.

Usually, Kyungsoo was quite antisocial, only keeping contact with close friends or when it was absolutely necessary. Talking to a complete stranger would make him a sweaty nervous mess. But the huge boy gave him a sense of ease and understanding that he'd never quite felt anywhere else, making the conversation extremely pleasurable. Not that there weren't butterflies in his stomach every now and then.

 

"Now that I am able to stop and appreciate it... It is truly beautiful."

Chanyeol, who had been looking at the falling stars-  getting stuck in the trunks of the trees, falling softly into the ground and disappearing- closed his eyes.

"What are you doing? Don't you want to see?"

"I'm imprinting this on my mind. When I'm a rusty old man, I want to see this moment as vividly as now. I want my grandchildren to be able to touch the stars just from listening to my story."

Kyungsoo stared at him. Did the boy know the poetry he'd just recited? That kind of thing moves people. And shit, did Chanyeol move him.

He closed his eyes, taking the moment in.

 

"You know, when we were fighting for the star, you looked really nice."

That was sudden.

"What, so you like that kind of thing?" Kyungsoo chuckled, feeling a little uncomfortable. He hadn't seen that one coming. "Um. Woah. I mean, not that there's anything wrong with it. You do you."

"Oh, God! No, no, no! No, it's not like that." Chanyeol waved his hands wildly, trying to clear up the misunderstanding. At that moment, he was truly glad it was still dark on the cave; on the contrary, Kyungsoo would've surely seen the red blush in his cheeks. He felt like a hot potato. "I mean.. I couldn't see you clearly because we were rolling around and everything, and no distinguishable features appeared - it was all a huge blur. But you radiated feeling and will in a way that only someone that's fighting for a dream ever could. You were... fierce. And I thought it was beautiful."

Now it was Kyungsoo's time to blush. No one had ever talked about him like that - he'd been described as handsome and cute before, but that was different. It felt deeper, in a way, like it had more meaning. Like Chanyeol was really looking, instead of just passing by.

"Yeah, right. You're just a pervert, stop trying to excuse it." He picked a little rock up and threw it at Chanyeol, trying to make it sound more playful. He wasn't sure he was ready to get deep again; they'd had their fair share of heartfelt talks for the night.

 

For a while now, the sky had been getting considerably lighter. The stars were more scarce, and they fell slowly. The Falling seemed to be at its end.

Chanyeol took out a pen and a notebook from his bag, ripping out a page and starting to scribble something. It was just light enough to see his features - since the batteries of the lanterns died, hours ago, they'd been talking in complete darkness. Kyungsoo could take a better look at his face, creating a clearer image in his mind. They hadn't known each other for long, and when he closed his eyes, some traces got blurry. Was his nose large? Were his eyes double-lidded? His smile crooked to the left, right?

The tall boy was immersed in his piece of paper, making Kyungsoo curious.

"What'cha doing?"

"Oh." Chanyeol  shielded the contents of the page with his hand, shooting a sheepish smile at Kyungsoo. "Just writing down some things I don't want to forget."

"I see. I'll probably do that when I get home. Less trouble."

"What is it that you want to remember from today?"

"Well, everything, really. But mostly..." Kyungsoo looked at Chanyeol.

He wouldn't have enough courage to say it. He had run out of that long ago. "The stars."

"Yeah, they were truly beautiful." Chanyeol motioned to the sky, where very few stars still fell. Their sparks were thin and lacked life, as if they were already exhausted. As if the whole process was too much, and they simply didn't have the same energy anymore. "It seems those are the last ones to touch the surface of the Earth for a long while."

"That's true. They look even more fragile."

When the conversation had come to a halt, right before Chanyeol went back to concentrating on the piece of paper, they saw the tip of a bright orange rising from the horizon.

There were no more stars to be seen.

The sun had shown its first rays, bringing a new day to existence. Kyungsoo knew what that meant. They'd have to go back home.

 

"It's such a shame..."

Luhan was mourning over the star's grave. They had decided together that burying it was the safest and most sensible solution, after a lot of discussion. Baekhyun's speech had been decisive.

_"Say we bring it home." He looked at every one in the eye, trying to get the message across.  "It can't stay permanently with either of us, since we both have claim to the star. If we try to get rid of it, it'll end up going for sale, and the one with more money will get the star. I don't want that. I want the one who wants it most, and needs it most, to find it. And I think that was us, and we did. So let's bury it and let the universe's conscience bless us."_

_"Well, if we're going to rely on the conscience of the universe, I'd say we're pretty much fucked." Chanyeol replied frankly, "But I like the plan. It's fair, and the most honest thing we could do."_

_"Okay, so everyone agrees to bury the star?" Luhan asked, deciding the matter. "Say I."_

_"I."_

_"I."_

_"I."_

_"And I." The bright eye boy smiled sadly, "I'm going to see if I can find a spoon in my bag."_

"Well, I guess that's it." Baekhyun had a set grip on his backpack, ready to say his goodbyes. He couldn't wait to come back home. "See you around, I guess? Or not, since we don't live exactly close to each other. Anyways, it was really... unexpected. And definitely memorable. I hope the star blesses us all in our lives, and maybe fate will make us meet again in the future."

"Unexpected is a great way to put it." Luhan chuckled, holding his hand out for the brothers to shake. "The best of luck to you both."

"For you too." Kyungsoo laid his eyes on Chanyeol, unsure of what to say. He was about to give up on a world of possibilities, just like that. It's not like they've known each other for long, but... There was something about the boy. He just couldn't bring himself to say anything, pretty much like he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was so special about Chanyeol.

"Well, I guess it's goodbye, then." Chanyeol also shook both their hands, but instead of letting go, held onto Kyungsoo's, locking eyes with the older boy, "And Kyungsoo, it was a great night. You made sure that I'll never forget it."

Kyungsoo was about to say something - or maybe simply fling himself at the giant - when the boy let go of his hand, adjusted his cap, and left with his friend. It seemed like fate really wanted them to meet like this - just for one night, a gift of possibilities. He tried to be satisfied with that, as he and Baekhyun began to march to their home.

 

They were unpacking when Kyungsoo found a loose paper in his bag. He was sure that wasn't there before - maybe Baekhyun had put it in?

He opened the scrap, finding a short note and a sketch inside. Though it was simple, it was a very well done draft of Kyungsoo in the cave. Below it, there was a phone number, with the words 'call me!" scribbled messily. Though he drew with the utmost care, he paid no attention to his writing. Cute.

Maybe it is true that when you give up on something, you get something new in return.


End file.
